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The running thread for gun enthusiast is out of my league... those guys know there stuff. Anybody just a pistol enthusiast? What guns do you take to the range?
What ammo have you heard is best for personal defense? Where can I find cheap practice ammo?
What kind of holster do you find works best for concealed carry?
The running thread for gun enthusiast is out of my league... those guys know there stuff. Anybody just a pistol enthusiast? What guns do you take to the range?
I have 4 pistols, a Ruger P89 9mm, a Smith & Wesson model 686 Stainless Steel in the .357 magnum, a Colt model 1911 in the .45 ACP, and a Ruger Redhawk in the .44 magnum. I've taken them all to the range and I enjoy shooting them all.
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What ammo have you heard is best for personal defense? Where can I find cheap practice ammo?
Depending on the kind of weapon you have. Generally all ammo (except the .25 ACP) with hollow-point bullets will be good for self-defense. Of course, with heavier calibers (.38 Special +P loads and bigger calibers) depending on how far you are from the target, you'll need less rounds to bring down your intended target, whereas with a 115-grain 9mm, if you're more than 15 yards away, even with hollow points, you might need 2 or 3 rounds. I use my .357 magnum with 125-grain HP, and .44 magnum with 180-grain HP for self-defense.
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What kind of holster do you find works best for concealed carry?
That all depends on several factors, I know Uncle Mike's makes a variety of good concealed carry holsters.
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Any questions about gun laws?
Gun laws do vary from one state to another, if you have to drive through a state, it might be best to check out their laws concerning carrying firearms in your vehicle. I know in Texas you cannot carry a loaded weapon with you, unless it's encased, and in California, you cannot have a gun with in the vehicle, it has to be locked in the trunk or locked away in the back seat, which is stupid, because no matter how many laws they pass, criminals will be the only ones who'll break them, so any politician who thinks they're doing you a big favor by passing such laws, it's time to vote them out of office.
I have 4 pistols, a Ruger P89 9mm, a Smith & Wesson model 686 Stainless Steel in the .357 magnum, a Colt model 1911 in the .45 ACP, and a Ruger Redhawk in the .44 magnum. I've taken them all to the range and I enjoy shooting them all.
I also have a 686 and 1911, though my 1911 is a Para Ordianance, not a Colt. Besides that, I have a number of other handguns that I have collected over the years. I also enjoy shooting all of the guns I own, whether they be long guns or handguns.
Here's something you can do with certain types of handguns (as well as long guns):
Some of the most fun I've had shooting was in Cowboy Action Shooting. In this form of the "sport," one dresses up in a period costume, and uses period firearms or replicas thereof to shoot a variety of "stages" that are composed to challenge the shooter in a number of ways. The guns used are usually a pair of single action revolvers (mine are Ruger Vaqueros in .357 Magnum), a lever action rifle (Navy Arms replica model 1892, .357 Magnum), and either a pump (model 1897) or side by side shotgun (I have a Norinco Coach Gun replica in 12 Ga.). Some folks use lever action shotguns, though I have yet to see one being used in competition. Some competition events have stages for a particular style of shooting such as quick draw or long range rifle, so if all you have are handguns, you can still usually participate. If you don't have everything you need to compete, a lot of folks will allow you to borrow their equipment, including guns. It's a fun sport that has been catching on a lot in recent years.
The running thread for gun enthusiast is out of my league... those guys know there stuff. Anybody just a pistol enthusiast? What guns do you take to the range?
What ammo have you heard is best for personal defense? Where can I find cheap practice ammo?
There are a number of specialty rounds that are designed specifically for personal defense. Here are a few:
Hornady TAP Personal Defense
Magtech Guardian
Federal Hydra-Shok Personal Defense
As for cheap practice ammo, the standard Winchester and American Eagle brands are usually pretty competitive price-wise, in my experience. I have yet to see anybody beat Wal Mart on prices for new ammunition, with the possible exception of the gun shows. Wolf is another inexpensive brand, but they built their name on steel cased ammo. They now offer brass cased ammo at inexpensive prices, but I don't know anyone who's tried it yet. I recommend avoiding the steel cased ammo.
If you don't mind shooting reloads, you can usually find them in bulk at gun shows. I've bought quite a bit of this over the years, and have found it to function well, and be reasonably accurate for the type of shooting I was doing.
If you really want to save some money, and have something else that is relaxing and rewarding to do, you can even reload your own ammunition. Reloading is one of those hobbies that many people take up because of the high cost of ammunition. Unless you shoot a lot, though, it will take a long time to recover the cost of the reloading equipment investment. I reload for pleasure, and didn't care as much about the cost factor. I don't really shoot enough to recover my investment any time soon, but I do like knowing I can load ammunition for most of my guns, and can tailor those loads to the specific shooting conditions I am likely to encounter.
When I'm shooting, it's not for precision accuracy, just plinking. I like to know that I can hit a fairly small target with reasonable accuracy, but I don't need to worry about being able to put three shots into a quarter sized group. I just want to know that I will be able to hit my target if, heaven forbid, I ever need to use one of my guns for self defense.
Hey, here's a question for the experts in the house. What if anything can be done to correct a hand gun with fixed-sights that shoots low. So low, that you have to aim at the top of the target, so it blocks your vision of the target. The manual doesn't give any clue how to deal with it. Gun is a Ruger SP101. Bought "slightly used" from a dealer. Should the dealer make it right? Should I send it back to Ruger? Or just live with it? Thanks.
Hey, here's a question for the experts in the house. What if anything can be done to correct a hand gun with fixed-sights that shoots low. So low, that you have to aim at the top of the target, so it blocks your vision of the target. The manual doesn't give any clue how to deal with it. Gun is a Ruger SP101. Bought "slightly used" from a dealer. Should the dealer make it right? Should I send it back to Ruger? Or just live with it? Thanks.
Give Ruger a call.
You could change out the sights to adjustables. Change the front sight to a lower one or file it down. You did not mention how close the target is. I do not think this is a dealer or factory warranty issue, might be.
Sounds like I have plenty of options.
I hadn't thought of calling Ruger. Not a bad idea. Didn't know the fix could be as simple as filing the front sight. Makes sense. Targets were at 10 yards and 15 yards, btw.
I was thinking of looking into reloading. How much investment is required?
I shoot a .38 special for fun and carry a Sig Sauer P239 in .40 cal. Ammo isn't cheap. I actually bought that expensive, ridiculous, Extreme Shock garbage, but I don't even keep it in the gun. I went with Federal Hyda-shok in 165 grain. And the Sig all but disappears in my Blade-Tech tuckable IWB holster.
I was thinking of looking into reloading. How much investment is required?
I shoot a .38 special for fun and carry a Sig Sauer P239 in .40 cal. Ammo isn't cheap. I actually bought that expensive, ridiculous, Extreme Shock garbage, but I don't even keep it in the gun. I went with Federal Hyda-shok in 165 grain. And the Sig all but disappears in my Blade-Tech tuckable IWB holster.
I have been wanting to get a Sig Saure 40 S&W the small one for CCW. How do you like yours? I guess the .40 has allot more knock down power than a
9mm. I have a Sig 9mm p226 and like it allot but to big for CCW
I have been wanting to get a Sig Saure 40 S&W the small one for CCW. How do you like yours? I guess the .40 has allot more knock down power than a
9mm. I have a Sig 9mm p226 and like it allot but to big for CCW
I absolutely love it. The p239 is the smallest large caliber gun they make and it's great for CCW. The next one down is a .380, made like the James Bond, Walther PPK. The p239 is a little heavy for it's size... which I like, it feels like a gun in your hand.
The slide and barrel are about the same size as the p229 but dehorned and smoothed off, and it doesn't come with the accessory rail... not that CCW gun needs one. And it has a single stack magazine, so it's slimmer in the grip. The .40 holds 7 +1.
I want a p226 Elite with the dove tail and short reset trigger. You've got a world class gun - the p226. The .40 has become very popular, but the 9mm is also potent. I hear the .40 has more stopping power, but I'm no expert.
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